Day 1 – Salvador

After arriving at Salvador Airport (SSA), the immigration process was a breeze and luckily I got my bag quick and I was out of the door in no time. Taxis are abundant outside the airport but don’t go with anyone asking for a taxi. Check in with the information center and they will assign an “official” taxi to you which is reliable and safe. Taxis usually cost anything between BRL 70 to BRL 90 to Praça da Sé in Pelourinho area (old town). Some taxi drivers were agreeing to BRL 60 as well.

But I decided to go with recommendations from a lot of online forums and walked past the parking garage to the bus stop behind the parking garage. From here you can catch the bus number 1001 “Praça da Sé” that takes about one hour to reach the Pelourinho area. It is not the fastest option, but the cheapest for sure. One way ticket costs BRL 3, payable to the bus driver.

[Bus 1001 outside Salvador Airport]

It was almost 11am when I reached the bus stop, which is at the south end of the main plaza. Walking to the center takes about 10 minutes, and I was informed by the hostel to take the less dangerous road (shown in green below) via Elevador Lacerda instead of the one just following the bus stop (shown in red below). The green route was a bit longer, but I definitely felt safer. Especially looking at the red route to be empty!

After checking in to Laranjeiras Hostel, I had a quick shower before heading out for lunch. The hostel is in a side street from the main square that has the Comunidade Franciscana da Bahia church. This is a huge square with lots of restaurants, street food and street parties. Weekends bring in artists from all over Salvador entertaining the tourists with their skills or selling souvenirs.

Laranjeiras Hostel

Value
Location
Cleanliness
Rooms
Service

Breakfast included: No
Wifi: Free, included in price.
Wifi Coverage: Not good network across the hotel.
Airport Pickup: No
Towels provided: Yes
Toiletries provided: Yes

Location
Located in the center of Salvador, in the swanky Pelourinho neighboorhood, this is one of the finest hostels in Salvador. The service is amazing and facilities are great.

Rooms & Bathrooms
I had booked a double bed room with shared bathroom for two nights and I was very happy with the room which had large windows facing the street (which was more of an alley). It had a large double bed with comfortable pillows. The room also had a TV, wall-fan and closet space for bags. The hostel has many single, double and triple rooms with fan or air conditioning, in addition to male & female dorm rooms.

The floor I was on had two bathrooms – one with a single shower and other with three showers ad two toilets. Very clean and well maintained.

Services
The reception staff was very friendly and helpful with the restaurants around. The hostel also has its own cafeteria that serves food ad coffee for a price. A huge lobby area also serves and the strongest-wifi room and a computer with internet.

Overall
With a lot of hostels in the Pelourinho area, this one is a good value for money.

Walking past the square, I reached Elevador Lacerda – the icon of Salvador that allows residents to easily commute between Pelourinho’s Lower Town (Cidade Baixa) and its Upper Town (Cidade Alta) by some 85 meters (279 ft).

It costs BRL 0.30 one way and is highly recommended to take the elevator to commute rather than walking the curvy street, supposedly where most muggings occur.

The first sight you’ll see in Cidade Baixa is the beach! But before heading there, make sure to visit the Mercado Modelo (Modelo Market) for gifts, souvenirs and produce. Be wary of your wallet and personal belongings while shopping there.

[Mercado Modelo]

[Mercado Modelo]

Having spent some time there, I returned to Cidade Alta via Elevador Lacerda to explore Pelo. Just walking around this tiny “old town” is an experience where you’ll find locals and tourists wandering around.

[Comunida de Franciscanada Bahia, with the main square of Salvador lined with restaurants and shops.]

[Old colonial buildings in the main square. This is the most photograped place in Salvador.]

[Just an alleyway in Salvador.]

[A statue of Bahia woman.]

[The old ad the new – walking towards Elevador Lacerda.]

You could find a lot of impromptu bands on the streets playing the typical Afro-Brazilian music. Dance to the tunes with the locals!

[Street band]

After spending the rest of evening around Pelo’s streets, I returned back to hostel, made some friends and we went for dinner at a cafeteria nearby.

Costs

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = BRL 3.73 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult.